"Nuts are an important agricultural product for Georgia. The nut market is fully diversified and the products are almost entirely exported to the European Union. Last year, nuts worth of approximately $114 million were exported from Georgia, which is several times higher than the figure of the previous year, and this trend should be maintained", Otar Shamugia said.

According to the Minister, the fight against the Asian tortoise beetle is a big challenge for the fruit growing industry.

“We still have a lot to do to ensure that the quality of nuts is as high as possible, since the product is competitive in the world market. We will actively continue to work with farmers to improve quality and steadily increase farmers' income. This is our goal,” – Otar Shamugia said.

"Megagro" is a nut processing enterprise equipped with modern standards, where 300-500 tons of nuts can be processed annually. 20 people are employed in the enterprise. The company is a beneficiary of the co-financing project of agricultural products processing and storage enterprises. A total of 680,440 GEL was invested in the enterprise, out of which 250,000 GEL is a grant, and 300,000 GEL was received by the company within the framework of the Pilot Integrated Regional Development Programme. In addition, the company, with the help of the Technical Assistance Program, implemented the international food safety standard ISO 22000, where co-financing from the state amounted to 30,000 GEL. The company plans to sell its products in both local and international markets.